JoVE Monthly Highlights: February 2018

Protocol

Color Spot Test As a Presumptive Tool for the Rapid Detection of Synthetic Cathinones

Morgan Philp¹, Ronald Shimmon¹, Mark Tahtouh², Shanlin Fu¹

¹Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), ²Australian Federal Police (AFP)

Here we present a simple, inexpensive, and selective chemical spot test protocol for the detection of synthetic cathinones, a class of new psychoactive substances. The protocol is suitable for use in various areas of law enforcement that encounter illicit material.

Fabrication and Characterization of Optical Tissue Phantoms Containing Macrostructure

Madeleine S. Durkee¹, Landon D. Nash¹, Fatemeh Nooshabadi¹, Jeffrey D. Cirillo², Duncan J. Maitland¹, Kristen C. Maitland¹

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, ²Deparment of Molecular Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M College of Medicine

Optical tissue phantoms are essential tools for calibration and characterization of optical imaging systems and validation of theoretical models. This article details a method for phantom fabrication that includes replication of tissue optical properties and three-dimensional tissue structure.

Design and Evaluation of Smart Glasses for Food Intake and Physical Activity Classification

Jungman Chung¹, Wonjoon Oh², Dongyoub Baek³, Sunwoong Ryu², Won Gu Lee⁴, Hyunwoo Bang²

¹School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, ²Envisible, Inc., ³Curiosis, Inc., ⁴Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyung Hee University

This study presents a protocol of designing and manufacturing a glasses-type wearable device that detects the patterns of food intake and other featured physical activities using load cells inserted in both hinges of the glasses.

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

Vladimir Zeldetz*¹, Dmitry Natanel*², Matthew Boyko², Alexander Zlotnik², Honore N. Shiyntum³, Julia Grinshpun², Dmitry Frank², Ruslan Kuts², Evgeni Brotfain², Jochanan Peiser²

¹Department of Emergent Medicine, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, ²Division of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Soroka Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, ³

This protocol describes a new model by which healthy rats could contract depression over a given time periodthrough contagion by exposure to chronic unpredictable stressed (CUS) rats.